DEI Articles

Working for a corporation, it was one of my responsibilities to craft corporate-friendly educational articles and emails for the company to teach my fellow associates more about why and how to be inclusive and the importance of diversity. My superiors were very pleased with my work. Here are some of the pieces I wrote:

Hi Team!

(Associates Name) and I (Brittany L.) have teamed up to bring awareness and eduction to different DEI topics and issues going on in the world. Hopefully as we continue, it will help us all learn more about the struggles underrepresented groups face and also inspire us to change to make sure everyone is respected and included.

Today, October 10th, is Columbus Day, which commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492, was originally made a national holiday in 1934 to honor Italian Americans who were being persecuted. However, it is also Indigenous Peoples’ Day. While first publicly acknowledged by President Biden in 2021, Native People for years have protested Columbus Day’s celebration and have advocated for a new holiday honoring Natives instead. This is due to the fact that Columbus’ landing in the Americas brought extreme suffering to Indigenous Peoples. European contact resulted in Native America losing an estimated 95 percent of its population, their traditions being obstructed as they were forced to assimilate into American culture, loss of lands, and more. Many argue that Columbus Day is a celebration that continues to diminish and erase Native People.

(Company's Name) is dedicated to representation, transparency, and positively impacting our communities. Here are some respectful ways to honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day today and in the future:

Acknowledge the land you’re on (CG is on Myaamia land)

Rebuild local ecosystems with native plants

Support Indigenous businesses, authors, and craftspeople

Visit a museum that shares about Indigenous history and culture

Educate others

Resource: https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/informational/columbus-day-myths

History behind Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/why-some-celebrate-indigenous-peoples-day-not-columbus-day